Why this life?

I remember reading a NDE, where the person was recalling a conversation with an entity they perceived as God or Jesus. I think the person was complaining about how hard their life was. The entity basically said, I never said it would be easy. I think on that sometimes.

I still say the lesson you are learning applies to everyone. We are all at different spots in our education if you will. This is the time you perhaps chose to grasp it. If you hadn't had the previous experiences, would you be in the place to learn what you are learning? Most likely not. Self awareness, especially a high level of self awareness is not a pleasant thing. Especially, when you find yourself lacking. Personally, I see things I need to change, but I really don't know if I can. Then I wonder is it because I am not capable of changing or if I just don't want to.

I have never been in the military this life. I know this sounds really strange, but I miss it. I sometimes wish I had done it. I seriously considered West Point at one point. It's in my blood so to speak. I don't relish the idea of being someone else's instrument, though. I also couldn't be a reinactor of any of the time periods I am interested in. LoL I think I'd be too into it.

One thing I have thought of though is this. The conflicts I have experienced in this life were non life threatening. So as I see some of the crappier aspects of human nature, I am able to survive it and ruminate on it in the present. In the past you were probably just dead.

Also, Jim, if you hadn't lived your life the way you did as Brian Boru, I wouldn't be here. He was a direct ancestor of mine. So there's that for you.

I knew God would be hard on me but it wasn't until afterwards that I remembered reincarnation. I didn't realise how deep my hardship goes. I was ignorant.

Most of the time I feel I'm not capable of changing and its very disconcerting to say the least. Ironically if I had of started another war in my current life I wouldn't have learned anything. I never expected a truly noble act to traumatise me so.

I wasn't military in my current life either but I did serve my country. There was no war on so I'd no reason to join the military but I did weed out the powerful who abused their positions.

I saw a reenactment of the battle of Enniscorthy in 1916 a few years back. I just thought that the reinacters weren't taking proper cover and would have been wiped out in reality. I also saw a reenactment of the 1798 rebellion, it lacked brutality. It was still weird seeing them though because I already had pl memories.

I came very close to taking a bullet for my old love in my current life among other things so I have been in life threatening situations...but I "surrendered arms" for the greater good and thus I wasn't assasinated. Now I've too much time to reflect.

I think my lesson in this life is i need to protect myself better otherwise people take advantage. Possibly too late to do anything about it in this one, however next one i suspect some of my "niceness" might be missing. Its not done me any favours

As hard as it is to figure out you have been taken advantage of....I always put the problem on the party that takes advantage. They are the bad person. Doubly bad in that they can cause kind people to harden their hearts.

I think we went off topic here. Just to remind you of the original point of the discussion:

So the point is not whether time is linear, whether karma can be interpreted in a way or another, or whatever. These topics have already been discussed in other threads.The point is, why would someone experience a wide range of variations of the same theme, namely conflict, to arrive to the conclusion that any form of conflict only spawns more conflict? And why in this life, while contemporary society is probably not yet receptive to such a lesson, while hero worshippery is still the everyday norm in practically any country, heroes who have caused damage and death in most cases. It can make someone feel isolated and wonder why he had to come to such a realization if it can't be shared with anyone, and if it's so difficult to apply in everyday life. More than that, why does our progression of lives challenge habits that are so rooted within us that they appear to be part of who we are?

My series of deaths has been a source of reflections for me ever since I remembered them. I did wonder whether my "sacrifices" had any importance at all, and at times I still do. History as we perceive it is an everlasting stream, and I've been but a pebble in its course, trying to alter its direction. It just flew around me as if little or nothing happened. More than that, my actions eventually brought hostility and harm to myself and my close ones. At this point it doesn't matter much to me, as long as I could learn something from it. I've been through a profound shift in my interests in my current life, as I am no longer involved in politics or antigovernment activities in any way. It's a chapter of my existence that has been closed the day I got my last headshot. But this doesn't change that I've been involved in a different kind of conflict in this life, an occult and way more insidious one, and even though I've been doing my best not to fuel it anymore for some time, it has been a challenge for me so far. Many realizations have stemmed from my current life's experience, a kind of knowledge that changed my thinking, and hopefully will remain in my memory (conscious or not) in case I have to return once again in physical life. Many things still remain a mystery to me nonetheless.

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Good questions! Nice post.

I believe that there are two different points: the reason for which we incarnate, and the reason for which we experience certain situations in this life.

Firstly ... We incarnate to evolve, to eventually reach the stage when we can stay indefinitely on the next plane of existence, without having to come back here. We can't do that now because we can't master our emotions yet.

Secondly ... Our thoughts (including emotions and beliefs) create thought-forms. We create them now; we created them in each one of our other lives. When we die, those thought-forms aren't destroyed, but remain here, on the plane they were generated, and join us when we reincarnate, a.k.a. unresolved karma. Those thought-forms materialize in the kind of people and situations we encounter. If we don't "balance" them, they'll continue to exist, sometimes getting even stronger. I prefer to use the word "balance", but we can also use "destroy", "resolve", ...

To balance a though-form (our life-lesson is to balance a specific thought-form), I believe there are only two ways.

The typical way ... is to experience the interaction with the thought-form, and to react in such a way that the thought-form is weakened, and destroyed. The problem is that we aren't aware of this process, we don't know how to react, we don't learn our life lesson, and we have to try it all over again in another life.

Eventually ... we find the solution, balance the thought form, and the life situation doesn't repeat anymore.

Once we're experiencing the life situation, we can learn what is the life-lesson that it pertains to. With this understanding, we can consciously change our thoughts about the situation in a way to weaken and destroy the thought-forms.

Another way ... With hypnosis (self- or hetero-) we can enact the change easier, using posthypnotic suggestions (suggestions made to a hypnotized person with effect for after wakening).

Makes sense, baro-san. Sure, controlling my reactions at even an emotional level makes me think that it will take me a long time to "ascend" to the next plane of existence. I had to learn the hard way how even emotions, thoughts, daydreams affect our everyday life in ways we couldn't imagine. I have seen in first person the thought forms you talk about interacting with souls -still incarnated. So it makes sense to me that the mastery has to be total for us to be freed from our current cycle of reincarnations. It's still a long way for me.

I agree with you two completely. Humanity has a long way to go before we are ready to ascend.

Yet knowing this begs an exploration of my original question. Why this life? I'm no more ready to ascend than any other human. I still have a strong, primitive animalistic side and it is now in conflict with my lesson. Why would I learn about the true nature of conflict at what seems to me, to be a ridiculously young soul age? I don't feel I'm prepared for such a concept, yet its here in me nonetheless.

I don't really have much to add, just want to say thank you for this thread, I've read through it this morning with interest. I can relate to a lot of what you say, Jim, considering I myself feel similar ways. My previous selves seemed on a different pathway to who I am now. It does create an internal conflict. It also makes a weariness of the soul, weariness of living, at least in my case. I try to take the stance that I'm living this life now for a reason. Sometimes I wonder if this life is just therapy for my other lives, processing all the stuff that I left unresolved.

I think the question of why this life is a very personal one, one we stumble about and try to find the answer for. Maybe we won't truly know till we die, maybe we'll find out before. I think it's more a case of uncovering the answer of 'why' throughout our lives.

I just don't know if I simply gained pl memories through sheer force of will or if it was preordained. Like I said...I don't feel like I'm ready for this lesson and I stumble around feeling like I'm failing God. Security and faith eludes me but I guess I am growing.

How is your path different from your previous selves if you don't mind me asking?

I just don't know if I simply gained pl memories through sheer force of will or if it was preordained. Like I said...I don't feel like I'm ready for this lesson and I stumble around feeling like I'm failing God. Security and faith eludes me but I guess I am growing.

How is your path different from your previous selves if you don't mind me asking?

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Jim,

I think, at least for me, it's probably a combination of free will, and compulsion. It reminds me of an old Russian tale called the 'Maiden King'. In the tale, the young boy Ivan meats the Baba Yaga three times. Each time he meets her, she asks him if he arrived to her doorstep by free will or by compulsion. Her dwelling/presence is of the underworld, she's an interesting character is the Baba Yaga. Anyway, each time, young Ivan replies that he came to her mostly by free will, but twice as much by compulsion. The Baba Yaga seems quite satisfied with that answer. Either way, she doesn't bite off Ivan's head and let's him live so she must be pretty pleased, and she gives him the information he wants so he can continue his journey.

I've found that part of that Russian tale always coming back to me whenever I think about my need to know my past lives. I'm here at this point, with this knowledge mostly by my own free will, and twice as much by compulsion.

How does my path differ? Well, being born biologically female was a big change for me. It put me on a pathway I may not have gone down if I had been biologically male at birth. Being raised as a female put me in touch with my emotional counterpart, so I've been able to draw on that. I've lived the opposite side of what my past self lived in a lot of ways. I also did not go down a military pathway. That also put me on a different road. This life, so far, is very contemplative for me. My life since my teenage years always falls into cycles of solitude. It's a very inward life, compared to the very outward life of my previous self -- at least so far. Who knows! Life always changes.

I like your Russian tale landsend. I've been wondering about free will and compulsion myself since remembering reincarnation. Before I had past life memories I felt like destiny was compelling me but then I'd forced myself into a situation where I had to make a moral choice. I had to look beyond destiny and come up with a practical humanistic solution. I was forced to use my brain thus it seemed to me that I was exercising my free will. I continued along this path for months. Then when I remembered reincarnation and my old love rejected me I realised that this new found free will was actually entrenched in compulsion. I really couldn't have behaved any other way than I behaved. This made me resent the notion of reincarnation. I felt a slave to my character and impulses. So I understand what you mean by it being mostly free will but twice as much by compulsion. Also pl knowledge armed me with what I needed to continue my journey. Now I think I only have free will in terms of my compulsions. That's a frightening prospect for me because I know that I need to change but I don't know how.

I can relate totally to what you are saying.

I was always male to the best of my knowledge so I can't imagine what its like to be female. Do you think that a females emotional life differs from a male? Did it throw your souls journey into sharp relief?

I know what you mean about going down a different road though. As I said in my first post in this topic I took an anti war stance for most of my life...at least until a war came to my door and it was personal. Then I completely became like my past selves. It is possible that life will throw you a curveball to break your contemplative state. I find that life challenges us when we are ready for that challenge and as you said the reaction is mostly free will with twice as much compulsion.

Does that make us slaves to our natures or simply souls who don't know any better yet?

Thinking on this for a while that one point is that you were meant to remember so that you would have to come to terms and understand then eventually forgive yourself so that you could finally move on having broken the cycle. In short your need to forgive yourself and move on, have hope that your future lives are decent ones that you get to enjoy living. I hope to be happy in the next myself.

I like your Russian tale landsend. I've been wondering about free will and compulsion myself since remembering reincarnation. Before I had past life memories I felt like destiny was compelling me but then I'd forced myself into a situation where I had to make a moral choice. I had to look beyond destiny and come up with a practical humanistic solution. I was forced to use my brain thus it seemed to me that I was exercising my free will. I continued along this path for months. Then when I remembered reincarnation and my old love rejected me I realised that this new found free will was actually entrenched in compulsion. I really couldn't have behaved any other way than I behaved. This made me resent the notion of reincarnation. I felt a slave to my character and impulses. So I understand what you mean by it being mostly free will but twice as much by compulsion. Also pl knowledge armed me with what I needed to continue my journey. Now I think I only have free will in terms of my compulsions. That's a frightening prospect for me because I know that I need to change but I don't know how.

I can relate totally to what you are saying.

I was always male to the best of my knowledge so I can't imagine what its like to be female. Do you think that a females emotional life differs from a male? Did it throw your souls journey into sharp relief?

I know what you mean about going down a different road though. As I said in my first post in this topic I took an anti war stance for most of my life...at least until a war came to my door and it was personal. Then I completely became like my past selves. It is possible that life will throw you a curveball to break your contemplative state. I find that life challenges us when we are ready for that challenge and as you said the reaction is mostly free will with twice as much compulsion.

Does that make us slaves to our natures or simply souls who don't know any better yet?

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Jim,

Let's see... I think the way boys and girls are bought up is different, and does have some influence on the capacity to express emotions. Also, there is an hormonal component here. Oestrogen, the female hormone, makes one more emotional. Testosterone, the male hormone, can make one more aggressive. Transgender people who have taken hormones will tell you the difference. As for being transgender, I can attest to the fact that gender confusion can come from having lived other prominent lives in the opposite gender. In general, I can say that living as a male, and being a man was more comfortable for me than living as woman. This life my body feels like I'm walking around in ill fitting shoes -- except the shoes are my body, if that makes sense.

Now, I can see in my past life that I had strong emotions, but did not know how to express them. Past self was bought up 40's/50's where men didn't cry. Men didn't show emotions. After experiencing war, my past self took to the drink, and became aggressive and withdrawn. This life, I'm pretty sure I have the same emotions, or at least it feels the same to me now, but my capacity to deal with those emotions is widened. At least I have not taken to substances in this life to deal with them.

I still don't have the full answer as to why I have chosen this life, this body, these circumstances. I can only tell you what I know now. My past self left his wife with three kids while he went away to war, while he slept around and got drunk, while he got himself shot down in Vietnam and taken prisoner of war. I'm now a mother of three kids, and I am often alone with them 5 days a week while my husband works long hours. That's all I know.

Interestingly, although I dont know as Ive not done any past life regression as of yet. But I just know as a straight male, I suspect Ive been female more often than male. I think this life may have been a big test, which so far has been a mess. Including a wierd bad health problem I currently have, which still dr's are struggling to help me. Which maybe life threatening.

Interestingly, although I dont know as Ive not done any past life regression as of yet. But I just know as a straight male, I suspect Ive been female more often than male. I think this life may have been a big test, which so far has been a mess. Including a wierd bad health problem I currently have, which still dr's are struggling to help me. Which maybe life threatening.

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Have you tried meditation as a means to learn about your past lives? I find it more successful than regression techniques.

I have a feeling I have a 70/30 ratio for male/female incarnations, at least that I remember. So maybe this life I’m balancing it out. I think part of why I am more comfortable male is due to that ratio, but also just look at history in general. Women have not been treated equal to men in many societies. I know for a fact that ratio has left me with rather fluid ways of seeing my gender. I often think I’m a male mind in a female body, when I accept that I feel quite at peace with the feminine / masculine aspects of myself. Good thing today women and men are more or less equal in affluent societies...